Breeders Cup betting update

The Breeders' Cup Classic, one of the richest races in the world with a cool pot of over £2million awaiting the winner, has proved about as elusive to overseas raiders as the scarlet pimpernel was to his pursuers at the time of the French Revolution. And, as far as the bookies are concerned, this year's renewal, held at Belmont Park on Saturday, will be no different.Before, and subsequent to the French-trained Arcangues's incredible performance in winning the 1993 renewal at odds of 133-1, many of Europe's finest have been thwarted in their bid to capture this most prestigious of contests.The all-conquering Ballydoyle operation, headed by trainer Aidan O'Brien, saw two of their legends - Galileo and Hawk Wing - fail to make an impact in the Classic, neither seemingly able to adapt to the dirt surface on which this race is run. They did, however, go close to realising the dream when that tough cookie Giant's Causeway made the mighty Tiznow dig deep in the 2000 running.Gdolphin meanwhile, the Newmarket-based operation commonly referred to as the "Boys in Blue", have gone perilously close on two occasions, latterly when Sakhee was pipped on the post by, guess who, Tiznow in the 2001 showdown. The name Sakhee means 'generous' in Arabic. I'm sure the irony was not lost on his connections after seeing their charge fail by a nose to land the lucrative spoils.This year, Ballydoyle are represented by Oratorio, winner of the Coral-Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes. He was a shade unlucky when fourth behind David Junior in the English equivalent of the Champion Stakes last time, but, being by Danehill, he is not bred to race on dirt and, moreover, his style of running is unlikely to stand him in good stead in the Classic, especially if he is allocated a high draw. Oratorio is a lazy sort, whom jockey Kieren Fallon will be riding from virtually the moment the stalls burst open, and he will not find it at all easy to make up ground around the tight twists and turns of Belmont Park. The reason I allude to a high draw being particularly disadvantageous for Oratorio, is because he has a propensity to break slowly, which, bearing in mind that the first sharp turn comes up shortly after the runners leave the gates, could leave him languishing at the rear of the field. In addition, being at the back of the field in a race run on dirt can really test the fortitude of a horse, as many have cried enough when faced with the kickback of dirt from those in front.The underlying message here is - in addition to a low draw - you need an adaptable, tough horse that travels well in his or her races. Step forward Starcraft, who is well worth an investment at the generally available price of 6-1.The Luca Cumani-trained five-year-old may not have experience on dirt, but he has ticks in all the right boxes otherwise. He travels imperiously well in his races and is adaptable, in that he can be ridden up with the pace, or produced from behind the trailblazers, seemingly able to instantaneously engage the turbo throttle at the business end when the button is pressed.Since joining Cumani's yard from his original base in the southern hemisphere, Starcraft has quickly established himself at the summit of the European milers' pecking order, landing the Prix du Moulin in emphatic style at Longchamp, before repelling the challenge of Dubawi to reign supreme in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket most recently.Although those races were both over a mile, Starcraft has won over distances ranging from seven furlongs to a mile and a half, so his versatility is there for all to see. Crucially, because of his cruising speed, jockey Pat Valenzuela will be able to obtain a good position and I would expect him to sit in the leaders' slipstream before being unleashed two furlongs out.You never know, Starcraft might just outshine those illustrious rivals US-based rivals, Borrego, Rock Hard Ten and Saint Liam. And what a poignant victory it would be for Cumani, who so nearly landed the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita in 2003 when Falbrav was worn down close home by High Chaparral and Johar. For a trainer whose resources are limited compared to those associated with the likes of Ballydoyle and Godolphin, success in the Breeders' Cup Classic would be a truly momentous achievement.Betting verdict: 2pts win Starcraft @ 6/1 (virtually every booki